The invention is based on a motor vehicle having an energy-absorbing element.
A motor vehicle of the above-mentioned type, which is constructed as a passenger car, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,730. It has at least one body shell element (an A pillar here) which is covered by an interior-covering part on its interior side facing the vehicle interior. A deformation element is arranged between the body shell element and the interior-covering part. The deformation element protects a vehicle occupant from excessive load values when the occupant impacts through a body part on the interior-covering part as a result of an accident. Thus, the deformation element is to absorb energy by converting kinetic energy to deformation work or heat. The known deformation element is constructed as an elongated hollow profile and has at last one fastening leg and a deformation leg. The fastening leg is connected with the interior surface of the interior-covering part, which interior surface faces the body shell element. The deformation leg, which is supported on the body shell element, starts out from the fastening leg. Furthermore, the fastening leg is equipped with an extension leg, so that, in addition to the fastening to the interior-covering part, a holding is also established on the body shell element. It is disadvantageous that considerable mounting expenditures are required for the fastening of the deformation element on the body shell element as well as on the interior-covering part.
It is an object of the invention to have a motor vehicle which does not have this disadvantage.
This object is achieved by a motor vehicle described and claimed below.
The principal advantages achieved by the invention, in addition to a simple mounting of the interior-covering part and the deformation element on the body shell element, is the fact that, for example, a noise development between the deformation element and the body shell element can be largely avoided because the deformation leg is situated in a free-standing manner at a distance from the body shell element. In addition, with the supporting element having the deformation behavior coordinated according to the invention, the interior-covering part is fixedly held and supported on the body shell element. As a result, a secure fastening and a simple mounting can take place, and an undesirably rigid bridging of the deformation element is avoided.
According to a further development, the interior-covering part is provided with a reinforcing structure using webs.
If the webs are provided, in a further development of the invention, a plane linking of the fastening leg to the interior side of the covering part is achieved if the fastening leg has several recesses in the area of the webs, in which recesses the webs are arranged.
An embodiment is particularly preferred in which two deformation elements are arranged in series but at a mutual distance, so that the supporting element for the interior-covering part can advantageously be situated between the deformation elements.
For a simple mounting of the deformation element on the interior-covering part, both deformation elements are mutually connected by way of a connecting lug, which is arranged or extended such that it extends past the supporting element.
If the webs of the reinforcing structure are provided in the area of the connecting lug on the interior side of the interior-covering part, the connecting lug has a bent construction and thus spans the web.
For a simple fastening of the deformation element on the interior side of the interior-covering part, fastening noses are arranged on the interior side of the interior-covering part, which fastening noses reach through the corresponding fastening openings on the fastening leg. After the assembly of the deformation element and the interior-covering part, the fastening noses can be shaped be deformation, for example, by the effect of heat or welding, so that the deformed fastening nose reaches over the edge of the fastening opening and thereby holds the deformation element on the interior side of the interior-covering part.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the supporting element for the interior-covering part is constructed as a fastening dome whose roof is supported on the body shell element.
It was found to be particularly advantageous that the deformation behavior of the supporting element can thereby be coordinated with the deformation behavior of the deformation element if a weakening, particularly a weakening opening, is provided at least in a side wall of the fastening dome. In this case the weakening opening can be constructed such that, for example, a side wall of the fastening dome can be completely eliminated.
A simple connection between the roof of the fastening dome and the body shell element can be accomplished by inserting a holding element having a reach-behind element in the roof of the fastening dome. The reach-behind element is inserted into the body shell element.